Well, they aren’t really people, but they are made up of people, and understanding this fact is the key to building a community around your brand.

In this episode, we talk about how to humanize your brand on social media and go beyond the logo.

Introduce the people behind the logo.

People want to talk to people, even if using the brand logo or avatar. This is especially true on social media.

On Twitter, brand managers will often sign with their name or initials, which is a nice way of humanizing the post, even where multiple people are using the account. It’s nice because people know who they’re talking to.

Brands can use and share user-generating content. Humanizing your brand to your community is likely a trend we’ll start seeing more of. For instance, Kraft used consumer-generated content for its Super Bowl ad this year.

Why do people associate with your brand?

Companies brand phrases really well, like Nike’s phrase “Just do it”. Madalyn talks about her tattoo, which reads “Just Do It. This is a slogan for Nike, and when people see it, they take notice of it and associate it with the Nike brand.

The feeling people get of association and connection is interesting. Connecting with someone in such a way that they tattoo a logo on their body is powerful. Not that you have to get people to tattoo your logo on the body, but it help to look at companies like Nike and Harley Davidson, to see what they are doing to ignite the passion of their fans around their brand.

We find that the best way to build a brand community is by becoming a friend vs. just a follower.

How do you become a brand friend?

How Brands Can Be Friends with Followers:

Show your human side and connect with people person to person. Ditch the cold brand voice for a more personal tone.

Brands can become friends with their audience through creating delight and having genuine connections.

How followers can be friends with brands:

Kami and Madalyn discuss instances where people have used tweets to large brands, like Wendy’s or the Milwaukee Brewers to connect with some surprising outcomes.

When you tweet to a large brand, you’re talking to and connecting with someone behind the brand. You have to make your comment in a way that stands out.

Take Action

Share with @MadalynSklar and @Kamichat a brand that you think is really doing a great job of humanizing itself in social media. Tweet it to us using our new hashtag, #CTCPodcast

How to reach Kami:

If you’d like to learn more about Kami Huyse, visit her website at www.zoeticamedia.com. You can contact her by email at kami@zoeticamedia.com or tweet to @kamichat.

How to reach Madalyn:

If you’d like to learn more about Madalyn Sklar, visit her website at www.madalynsklar.com. You can contact her by email at madalyn@madalynsklar.com or tweet to @MadalynSklar.

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